Amy Keth, a consultant for Clarion University Small Business Development Center, was
selected as the 2016 Pennsylvania SBDC State Star at the organization’s annual network
meeting in June in York.

Keth’s outstanding work with clients, high quality contributions to new projects and
initiatives for the Pennsylvania SBDC network, and her performance leadership at the
Clarion University SBDC were cited in her selection. She will be honored during the
America's SBDC 2016 national conference in September in Orlando.

Clarion University SBDC was one of four centers to receive the Happy Client Award,
which recognizes centers that are going above and beyond to satisfy their clients
by earning 100 percent on the client satisfaction metric on the annual client questionnaire.

"These awards recognize the dedication and hard work of our business consultants,
staff and students," said Cindy Nellis, interim director of Clarion University SBDC,
who was recognized at the meeting for 20 years of service to SBDC. "Their work consistently
shows a commitment to facilitating the growth and development of both new and existing
companies in our region."

Clarion SBDC was created in 1980 and serves a 10-county region: Armstrong, Cameron,
Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter and Venango. In 2015,
the center provided almost 7,700 hours of one-on-one consulting to 461 clients; assisted
38 clients with securing financing for projects totaling over $13,000,000; and assisted
50 clients in starting businesses. In addition, Clarion SBDC provided more than 7,500
hours of training to 1,591 individuals at 86 events.

Clarion SBDC is located in the Gregory Barnes Center at Clarion University, which
is in Trinity Point at Monroe. For information, visit www.clarion.edu/sbdc or call 814-393-2060.

The Pennsylvania SBDC network is the only statewide, nationally accredited program
that provides high quality, one-on-one consulting, training and information resources
to empower new and existing businesses. Consultants work with entrepreneurs in confidential,
individualized sessions to help them with a range of business issues, including testing
a new business proposition, shaping a business plan, investigating funding opportunities
and more.

The SBDC program is a public/private partnership with U.S. Small Business Administration,
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and 18 universities
and colleges across the commonwealth. For information, visit www.pasbdc.org.